Montreal Stag

May 26, 2006 10:10 AM

I'm taking care of my buddy's stag in Montreal and we are looking to get him into the last trouble he will ever see for the rest of his life. Which strip clubs / bars / clubs would you recommend in Montreal to have a good time?

I've searched the AskMe archives for Montreal but everything was about foot / siteseeing. Montreal is renowned as THE party city of Canada.

We don't have a ton of money to spend, but we aren't in the poor-house either. I'd say each of us is probably willing to spend around $100 (give or take) for a night out on the town.
Suggestions?

posted by PWA_BadBoy to travel & transportation (15 comments total)

The most popular shit bar in downtown Montreal is the Peel Pub. Dirt-cheap recycled beer, cheap wings & spaghetti and things, relatively slutty waitresses, tons and tons of drunk university students. Loud music...

Really I guess it depends if you want like a total stereotypical stag night or what... I'm not the one to make strip club recommendations. Regardless of the earlier hijinks of the evening, something to think about would be to end it (if you're not just violently ill) by walking up St Laurent to Mondo Frite (which is open till 3 or 4 i think), and finishing the night with good conversation, delicious fries, and maybe some more beer (from around the world)...
posted by Marquis at 10:31 AM on May 26, 2006

Depending on your poison, $100/person isn't much for a real debauch of a night out in Montreal, especially if a strip club is involved --they are less boutiques of titillation than refined operations to separate men from their money.

Here are the general dancing/drinking areas and establishments:

1. The lower Main (St-Laurent blvd. south of Prince-Arthur): Home to Buona notte and other nouveau riche establishments featuring overpriced food, dumb Americans and vapid waitresses. Unless your thing is paying $50 for a plate of badly-cooked pasta -- paying to be seen in the establishment -- you won't find much here. The Prince Arthur blvd. might be a good place for dinner before-hand; they have a ton of sit-down Greek places with moderate to bad food -- but it's cheap. And good ambience.

2. The upper Main (St-Laurent blvd. north of Prince-Arthur): More of a hipster/uni student area, many cheap bars used to stag party hijinks. Recommendations: Copacabana -- say 'hi' to Tony -- , Frappé, Miami, La Cabane.

3. Crescent Street: Frat boys and the girls that love them. Probably the thickest density of bars/restos/night-clubs in Montreal. You wouldn't catch me dead on Crescent -- except for Ziggy's, a fine establishment -- but for many it's Montreal nirvana: loud house music, girls in tight clothing, boys with gold chains, etc.

4. Quartier-latin (St-Denis south of Sherbrooke): Sorta like upper St-Laurent, but more francophone. A decent mix of moderately-priced restos and bars. Recommendations: Pub-Quartier-Latin; Pub-St-Michel

5. Old-town: Tourists only. Avoid.

6. Peel pub (Sherbrooke and Peel): Where la belle ville hosts Boston 20-year-olds and Queens students. Regularly busted for recycling (esp. pasta -- urgh) but this tiled joint is always packed; has cheap beer; and doesn't appear to mind vomit.

7. Strip clubs: It's been years since I've been in one, but the enduring ones are Wanda's and Chez Parée -- both favoured by visiting sports stars and Shayne Corson. Look to drop serious cash, especially on a Fri or Sat night. Don't plan on drinking there -- or any Montreal strip club -- unless warm bottles of $8 Blue are your thing.

I can make more specific recommendations if you can narrow down just what you're looking for, your familiarity with Montreal, etc.
posted by docgonzo at 10:33 AM on May 26, 2006 [2 favorites has favorites]

We are staying in "downtown" Montreal at the http://www.starwoodhotels.com/preferredguest/starpoints/hotel_detail.html?propertyID=463">Four Points Sheraton. Basically we'll be there Friday night through Sunday afternoon.

My budget will likely be closer to a few hundred bucks instead of one, but we have a pretty diverse group of guys going with different economic situations so I want to keep costs reasonably in check. I'm thinking the night would start with some pre-drinking at something slightly cleaner than the Peel Pub (is this related to the sh!thole in Toronto of the same name?) and then progress on to the clubs and strip clubs afterward for the night.
posted by PWA_BadBoy at 10:43 AM on May 26, 2006

I hear Wanda's is fairly classy, Supersex is much more sexual and degrading apparently. Do it!
posted by Napierzaza at 10:55 AM on May 26, 2006

Whatever you do, avoid the Plateau and Mile-End. Just stay on Crescent Street and St-Catherine and you'll be just fine. If you find yourself on St-Laurent or St-Denis, you've gone too far. You won't find anything of value on this "main" that everyone speaks of.
posted by jon_kill at 11:03 AM on May 26, 2006

Wanada's is indeed classy, and a higher class of dancers than you may be used to. "Downtown," on Ste-Catherine was recommended to me by someone who's been going there longer than the dancers have been alive. Be sure to tip the doorman.

If you need to embarass the groom, maybe a trip into the gay village is in order? Taking in a transvestite show and telling the performers that it's your buddy's birthday? Cafe Cleopatra has fetish nights, if you are going to tie him up on a spit, but if you're considering the Peel Pub then a fetish night is not your thing.

Maybe you'll find some of Montreal's colourful scum with the help of this guide: http://www.viceland.com/issues/guide_mtl/htdocs/index.php
posted by Mozai at 11:03 AM on May 26, 2006

Pay no attention to the vice guide. The real fun in Montreal can be found on Ste-Catherine and Crescent streets.
posted by jon_kill at 11:09 AM on May 26, 2006

Given your info, I'd say go to Winnie's/Sir Winston Churchill's (on Crescent), have drinks, go to Crescent Street clubs, go to Wanda's (which is just around the corner on de Maisonneuve.) Be prepared to wait in line for Winnie's and other clubs, and maybe for Wanda's, as well.

And Mozai's right -- be sure to tip the doorman.
posted by docgonzo at 11:13 AM on May 26, 2006

What is an appropriate tip for the doorman?
posted by PWA_BadBoy at 11:54 AM on May 26, 2006

Out of curiosity, why ought one tip the doorman?
posted by Marquis at 11:54 AM on May 26, 2006

Additionally, I looked into this company called "Montreal VIP" that takes care of all this stuff, books limos, etc. Is this worthwhile?
posted by PWA_BadBoy at 11:55 AM on May 26, 2006

This is AskMetaFilter - Macintosh, big tips, always hire a professional even if you can do it better and faster, etc. etc.

However, in this case I am very curious too.
posted by Chuckles at 12:20 PM on May 26, 2006

You tip the doorman because he's the guy who gives you a table.
posted by jon_kill at 12:24 PM on May 26, 2006

So obvious! You can tell how many strip clubs I've been to..
posted by Chuckles at 12:30 PM on May 26, 2006

Be sure to tip the doorman.

What is an appropriate tip for the doorman?

In my experience (15 years ago) at Wanda's, the doorman will both make sure you know you are supposed to tip and even suggest an appropriate amount. These knuckle dragging mafiosi are very helpful that way!
posted by Turtles all the way down at 2:01 PM on May 26, 2006